An advent calendar book for kids 6 to 10
WHY?! The XXL Advent Calendar of Whys for Kids
24 Days of Big Questions and Clear Answers
Every evening from December 1 to Christmas Eve: one big why, four more around it, an answer you can say in one breath, and a small experiment to try together.
- Ages 6 to 10
- 114 full-color pages
- 120 whys, 24 home science experiments
Full-color paperback.
We publish this book. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Is this the WHY?! book from TikTok?
Yes. The blue cover with the raccoon in a lab coat and a snow globe bursting with a rocket, a whale and a dinosaur, the experiment pages with three numbered steps, the questions answered in one sentence: this is that book.
WHY?! The XXL Advent Calendar of Whys for Kids by Aria Stern is a real full-color paperback, sold on Amazon.
Waiting for the answer a video promised for tomorrow? Four of those answers are further down this page. The rest are in the book.
Shared on TikTok as WHY?! The XXL Advent Calendar of Whys by Aria Stern.
Look inside the advent calendar book
Every day in WHY?! runs over four pages. Here is all of Day 19 in the order your child meets it, then a walk through the rest of December.
- Four pages a day
- Full color throughout
- 6 x 9 in paperback
One whole day: Day 19
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The big why
Why do snowflakes have six sides? A one-breath answer, the longer story and a WOW box.
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Four more whys
Why snow is white, why it goes quiet after a snowfall and why it squeaks under your boots, plus one more from Murph.
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Do it
The Six Ring: guess how many round cereal pieces fit around one, then count.
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Day closed
A line to write on, five bulbs to rate the day and the string of lights at 19 of 24.
More from the 24 days
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Meet Professor Murph, the raccoon who asks one more why after every answer.
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The check-off list: all 24 days and 120 whys on one page.
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Week 1
Day 1, One Cold Arm: two ice cubes, a dish towel and a count to twenty.
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Week 2
Day 11: why the sunset is red, in the blue pages of Sky and Space week.
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Week 2
A Big Picture page closes every week. Week 2 asks how far up space begins.
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Week 3
Day 13: why popcorn pops, the first day of Kitchen week.
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Week 3
Day 16, Catch the Fizz: trap the gas from a bottle of sparkling water in a balloon.
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Week 3
The Kitchen Heat Ladder: toast, popcorn and ice on one scale.
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Week 4
Day 20, Fog on the Glass: two jars, warm water and four ice cubes.
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Week 4
Day 21: why reindeer have antlers, and what they use them for.
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Week 4
Inside One Snowflake: the Week 4 Big Picture.
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The ones nobody answered: a page for the whys your family is still working on.
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The Certificate of a Curious Mind, signed on the last night.
How the 24 days work
Open the book on December 1 and go one numbered day at a time until Christmas Eve. Every day has the same four parts, so after the first evening your child knows the routine.
Ask the big why
Read the question out loud and let everyone guess. Then read the one-breath answer, and the longer story if they want more.
Four more whys
Smaller questions on the same theme, and then Professor Murph, who always has one more.
Do it
A small home science experiment with things from the kitchen drawer: guess first, follow three numbered steps, see what happened. A grown-up stays close for every one.
Close the day
Write a why of your own, rate the day on five bulbs and color one more light on the string. Twenty-four lights later, it is Christmas Eve.
I'll be there every day. When you finish the answer, I ask one more.
Five minutes on most days, longer on a few, and a grown-up nearby for every experiment.
120 whys in four weeks
Why questions for kids, with answers you can say in one breath: these are the 24 big ones, one for each day. Every one comes with four smaller whys on the same theme.
24 days, 24 lights
Week 1: My BodyDays 1 to 6
- 1Why do we get goosebumps?
- 2Why does my nose run in the cold?
- 3Why do farts smell worse in a warm room?
- 4Why do we yawn?
- 5Why do fingers wrinkle in the bath?
- 6Why do we get hiccups?
Week 2: Sky and SpaceDays 7 to 12
- 7Why is the sky blue?
- 8Why does the moon change shape?
- 9Why do stars twinkle?
- 10Why is space so quiet?
- 11Why is the sunset red?
- 12Why do astronauts float?
Week 3: Kitchen and Everyday ThingsDays 13 to 18
- 13Why does popcorn pop?
- 14Why does toast turn brown?
- 15Why does ice float?
- 16Why does soda make you burp?
- 17Why do onions make us cry?
- 18Why does soap make bubbles?
Week 4: Snow and ChristmasDays 19 to 24
- 19Why do snowflakes have six sides?
- 20Why can I see my breath in winter?
- 21Why do reindeer have antlers?
- 22Why does it get dark so early?
- 23Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
- 24Why do candles flicker?
Christmas science experiments for kids, like The Six Ring and Fog on the Glass.
Plus a Big Picture page to end every week, a list up front to tick off the days and the certificate at the back.
Can you answer it in one sentence?
Every big why in the book has a one-breath answer, short enough to say before the next question arrives. Guess first, then flip the tag.
The other 116 whys are in the book. Get the book
Who it is for
- Your child asks why faster than you can look it up, and you would like a better answer than “because”.
- Your child is about 6 to 10 and likes to test things with their own hands.
- You want an advent calendar for kids that is not chocolate and not a screen.
- You like a short shared moment at bedtime or after school, five minutes on most days.
Who it is not for
- You want a box with 24 doors or 24 wrapped books. This is one paperback with 24 numbered days.
- Your child is still a toddler. The book is written for 6 to 10, and some experiments use small pieces that are not safe near little ones.
- You need a workbook with tests or grades. It is a book of good questions and plain answers.
- You want an ebook. WHY?! is a paperback only, made to be written in.
Giving it as a gift
Looking for a unique advent calendar for a curious niece, nephew or grandchild? Give it before December 1 so the first evening of December can be Day 1.
It is a flat 6 x 9 in paperback that wraps in a minute, and after Christmas it moves to the bookshelf as a book of answers. Starting late is fine: read two days in one evening until you catch up.
Get it on AmazonWe publish this book. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Free with the book: 24 more whys
When Day 24 is done, the questions keep coming. A page at the back of the book opens a free printable pack with 24 brand new whys and a Start Here sheet for the very first evening.
No sign-up and no email. The QR code and the short link are printed inside the book, and everything in the pack is for a grown-up to print.
Read what families wrote
We do not copy ratings or reviews onto this page. You can read them in the reviewers’ own words on Amazon.
Read the reviews on AmazonWe publish this book. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
A note from Aria Stern
My favorite page in this book is page 110, the blank one. It is for the whys nobody in the house could answer, and I hope yours is full by Christmas Eve.
About Aria Stern
Aria Stern makes activity books for kids whose questions arrive faster than anyone can keep up with. Her Advent books are made for a whole December: a few pages each evening, a straight answer in everyday words, something for small hands to try, and room for the whys no one has answered yet. In this book she hands the hosting to Professor Murph, a raccoon in round black glasses who never runs out of questions.
Aria Stern is a pen name. Her books are published by Kalderno (Quicktale Limited).
For a teenager in the house: Ugh... I'm BORED! Advent Calendar for Teens
Questions parents ask
Is this the WHY?! advent calendar book from TikTok?
Yes. WHY?! The XXL Advent Calendar of Whys for Kids by Aria Stern is the book in the TikTok videos, the one with the blue cover, Professor Murph in his lab coat and a snow globe bursting with a rocket, a whale and a dinosaur. It is a real 114-page full-color paperback.
What ages is it for?
WHY?! is written for children aged about 6 to 10, the range printed on its title page. The answers are short enough to read aloud in one breath, so it works as a read-together book at the younger end and a read-alone book for confident readers.
How does a book work as an advent calendar?
It is not a box of 24 wrapped books. It is one paperback with 24 numbered days, from December 1 to Christmas Eve. Each evening you open the next day: a big why with a one-breath answer, four more whys, a small experiment and a page that closes the day. A list at the front lets your child tick off each day.
How long does each day take?
Most days take about five minutes, the book says, and a few take longer. You can read the big why at bedtime and save the experiment for the next afternoon.
What do the experiments need, and are they safe?
They use normal household things such as ice cubes, a dish towel, jars, a coin, cereal and a spoon. A grown-up supervises every step. A few days need extra care because they use hot water, the toaster, a knife or, on Day 24, a candle, and the balloon and small-piece days are not for babies or toddlers.
What topics does it cover?
The four weeks are My Body, Sky and Space, Kitchen and Everyday Things, and Snow and Christmas. That makes 24 big whys and 96 smaller ones, 120 in all, from why we get goosebumps to why snowflakes have six sides, plus a Big Picture page at the end of each week.
Is it a good gift, and when should I give it?
Give it before December 1, so the first evening of December can be Day 1. It is a paperback that wraps flat, and after Christmas it moves to the bookshelf as a book of answers. If it arrives late, read two days in one evening until you catch up.
Who is Aria Stern?
Aria Stern is the pen name behind WHY?! The XXL Advent Calendar of Whys for Kids. She writes Advent calendars in book form and activity books for kids, tweens and teens, and her books are published by Kalderno.
Where can I buy WHY?!, and is there a Kindle edition?
On Amazon, as a 114-page full-color paperback. There is no Kindle edition, and that suits the book, since children check off the days, color in the bulbs and sign the certificate on paper.
December 1 starts with goosebumps.
One full-color paperback, 24 numbered days and 120 whys, for the curious kid in your house.
We publish this book. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Aria Stern is a pen name. Published by Kalderno, Quicktale Limited.
